Harry Potter potential is big news for theme parks
The tourism industry was still buzzing over the potential impact of Universal Orlando’s recent announcement that it has secured the rights to build an attraction centered on the hugely successful Harry Potter character.
“Properly conceived and executed, this story line absolutely has the potential to be one of the all-time biggest hits in the theme-park industry,” Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc. in Cincinnati, told The Orlando Sentinel.
Universal intends to spend $230 million to $265 million to create “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Islands of Adventure in Orlando along with a previously announced Simpsons attraction, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
This year alone, the expenditure is expected to reach from $75 million to $85 million, the filing said.
Mr Speigel likened the Potter stories to the “timeless” and age-barrier-breaking qualities of The Wizard of Oz.
Harry Potter is so hot, the title character in the series of books about a world of witches and wizards scores just four popularity points behind pop-culture icon and new cross-town competition Mickey Mouse, according to market research.
“Eight out of 10 people already know the Harry Potter character,” said Steven Levitt, president of Marketing Evaluations Inc. “The way it’s going to grow [among] people who aren’t saying, ‘it’s one of my favorites’ is a new iteration of Harry Potter — like a theme-park attraction.”
Universal Chairman Tom Williams told the Orlando Sentinel that the Harry Potter attraction would be like “a theme park within a theme park” spanning about 20 acres of Islands of Adventure’s 85 total acres.
The new attraction’s biggest impact could be among international travelers, whose numbers have waned in recent years.
“Harry Potter is printed in 63 languages; that shows you the power of the brand,” said Gary Sain, president of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “If we can tap into that and create that interest to visit Orlando, that’s superb.”
Report by David Wilkening
David
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